How much deposit to ask for on a job

No Swiss law sets the size of a deposit. It is a matter of contract, of what you write and what your client accepts. Here is what is customary and what holds up.

What is customary

Between a third and a half on order, on a job that needs materials. The logic is not to get paid in advance: it is to avoid financing a stranger's materials out of your own pocket. A deposit that roughly covers your purchases is easy to justify.

Split it rather than ask for it all

On a long job, three payments go down better than one large one: a deposit on order, an interim payment at a visible stage, the balance at the end. The client follows the progress, and you never front more than a month of cash.

Write it so it does not get argued

The amount, the percentage, the due date, and what it triggers, ordering materials, holding the date. A deposit written on the quote and accepted with it does not get renegotiated at invoicing time.

Invoicing the deposit

A deposit is invoiced like anything else, with its QR-bill and its VAT. And it comes off the balance at the end: your final invoice must show the total, the deposit already paid, and what is left. That detail is what spares you the call from a client convinced they paid twice.